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Friday, 18 May 2012 18:08 |
American Rivers – 2012
The report highlights ten rivers whose fate will be decided in the coming year, and encourages decision-makers to do the right thing for the rivers and the communities they support. It presents alternatives to proposals that would damage rivers, identifies those who make the crucial decisions, and points out opportunities for the public to take action on behalf of each listed river. For more information, click here. To go directly to the report, click here. For interactive map of rivers in U.S., click here.
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Friday, 18 May 2012 17:38 |
By Tom Lochner – Mercury News – May 17, 2012
Hercules has lost a $1.8 million wetlands restoration grant in the wake of a scathing audit by the state controller of the city's handling of state and federal funds. The grant, totaling $1,836,680, was to go toward restoring the 12-acre Chelsea Wetlands near San Pablo Bay and the Pinole city line. "In light of the recent audit by the state, we are exercising our option to terminate the grant," Clark Blanchard, spokesman for the California Natural Resources Agency, said Thursday. None of the grant money has been spent, he added. Program Manager Polly Escovedo, in a letter Tuesday announcing the grant termination, said the controller's audit report raised "serious concerns ... regarding the city's lack of fiscal accountability." The audit, published May 10, reviews Hercules' expenditures of state and federal funds in the 2009-2010 fiscal year. Meanwhile, in what is shaping up as a war of letters and words, Controller John Chiang fired back at Hercules on Thursday, defending the tone of his audit and a news release May 10 that accused the city of dragging its feet in responding to the state's request for records. In reaction, Mayor Dan Romero and City Manager Steve Duran last week had accused Chiang of grandstanding. For full story, click here.
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Thursday, 17 May 2012 21:35 |
Enhancing Diversity in Climate Change Science and Applications: from Models to Adaptation" from July 30 - August 2, 2012 in Boulder, Colorado
National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) will host a four-day, interdisciplinary training workshop on climate change science, societal vulnerability, and adaptation. The workshop will engage student (undergraduate and graduate) and faculty teams from historically black colleges and universities, tribal colleges and universities, and hispanic-serving institutions. The participants will become familiar with concepts related to climate change science, modeling, and scientific uncertainty. They will learn about climate impacts, vulnerability, and adaptation and be introduced to social science methods, spatial analysis techniques, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology, and data requirements necessary to conduct vulnerability assessments at a local level. In addition, the workshop will identify opportunities for research collaborations among participating institutions and scientists. Transportation and per diem costs will be paid for participants who are selected for the workshop. |
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Thursday, 17 May 2012 21:22 |
Mongabay.com – May 14, 2012Global wetlands declined by six percent between 1993 and 2007 due to conversion for agriculture, drainage, and water diversion, reports a new satellite-based assessment published by European researchers in Geophysical Research Letters. The study, which tracked changes in wetland extent on a worldwide-scale through seasonal and year-to-year fluctuations (e.g. El Niño events), found wetland loss was the greatest in the tropics and sub-tropics, where population growth and agricultural expansion is the greatest. For full story, click here.
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Thursday, 17 May 2012 21:17 |
By Anaridis Rodriguez – WWLP News – May 14, 2012Aside from a continuous cycle of water and fish, wetlands recharge groundwater reservoirs, purify water and waste treatment, and protect properties from flooding. Its economic incentives are valued at $14 trillion. But a wetland's environmental advantages are what drive Ralph Tiner’s research. His work in identifying wetlands across the country was recently acknowledged for furthering wetland science. In his role as the U.S. Fish & Wildlife’s wetland coordinator, he identifies a host of gainful functions specific to wetlands; the kidneys of the landscape. For full story, click here. |
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Thursday, 17 May 2012 20:29 |
Environmental Protection Agency – April 25, 2012 (Federal Registry)\EPA is promulgating technology-based effluent limitations guidelines (ELGs) and new source performance standards (NSPS) under the Clean Water Act (CWA) for discharges from airport deicing operations. The requirements generally apply to wastewater associated with the deicing of airfield pavement at primary airports. The rule requires all such airports to comply with requirements based on substitution of less toxic pavement deicers that do not contain urea. The rule also establishes NSPS for wastewater discharges associated with aircraft deicing for a subset of new airports. These airports must also meet requirements based on collection of deicing fluid and treatment of the collected fluid. The ELGs and NSPS will be incorporated into National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits issued by the permitting authority. EPA expects compliance with this regulation to reduce the discharge of deicing-related pollutants by 16 million pounds per year. EPA estimates the annual cost of the rule at $3.5 million. For the Federal Registry notice, click here. For an EPA Fact Sheet on this, click here. |
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Last Updated on Thursday, 17 May 2012 20:34 |
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